Like an eagle soaring across the vast blue skies, time seemed to fly, yet Aislinn had little peace. Between the museum, and both the school and town libraries, she spent her time researching the history of Lakeview Hollow and its folklore. The more she read, the more her hope of banishing the bunyip disintegrated. Dr Smith was right. Interfering with the bunyip, if it indeed existed, would jeopardise everyone's safety.

After resigning herself to the fact, Aislinn invested her time helping her mother plan the nearing wedding. And Easter was fast approaching. Soon she would finally meet her grandparents. On the one hand, she was over the moon, but she was also nervous. A brief thought ran through her mind - what if they didn't like her? But she brushed it off without a second thought. Of course they would. What's not to like? Aislinn's confidence overwhelmed her doubts, renewing her excitement.

Glancing at her watch, Aislinn pondered how much more time she would have the house to herself. Her mother and Jake had driven to the city to collect their visitors, her grandparents, from the airport.

Making her way up the stairs to the renovated first floor, Aislinn dragged her hand up the glossy wooden handrail, feeling the smooth surface glide beneath her fingertips. Once in the hallway, she took in the sight. Her memory flashed back to the first time she'd been in this hallway; dark and dreary, covered in cobwebs and layers of dust that were so thick it could almost have been carpet. But now, they had washed away all of it, and renewed it with fresh paint, wallpaper, and varnish. Her sight latched onto the new door names, and she moved over to the room selected for her grandparents' stay. The door had a small wooden tag with an elegant cursive font painted to name each room.

Aislinn and Audrey took weeks to decide how they were going to name the rooms, deciding that numbers just didn't have the personal touch that the place exuded. Finally, they'd settled on names of significant people and places in their lives. This tag read 'Grace'. She grinned, imagining her grandmother's face when seeing it for the first time. Aislinn took her time straightening the linen and plumping the cushions, ensuring that every detail was perfect and inviting.

When she was done, she moved to the next room. This one was Olivia's. Named by Audrey as a fitting tribute to their enduring friendship, the door tag read 'Olivia'. Aislinn wasn't sure when Liv would arrive, given that she'd told Audrey that she'd drive up by herself. Yet, she wanted to amaze her makeshift aunt, all the same, and set about ensuring her room was perfect as well.

Jake reached for Audrey's hand, trying to calm her nerves as she anxiously gnawed on her fingernails. With a knowing yet gentle smile, he reassured her.

The more anxiety prickled at her, the longer the drive seemed to take. She supposed it had always been like this. She forced a smile in return, though her eyes betrayed her genuine emotions. Jake gave her hand a squeeze and focused on the road.

It'd been a long time since either of them had been to the airport, but meandered through the city's traffic, thanks to the GPS. When they finally arrived, Audrey sat back in her seat, closing her eyes, re-centring herself. She wasn't sure why this wave of anxiety had engulfed her so quickly. It's not like she was meeting some stranger. Her parents had raised her and loved her. The overwhelming thoughts strangled her mind as panic set in. Her breath strained as her pulse raced.

Knowing the signs, Jake moved over to Audrey's door, crouching beside her. "Just breathe, hun. It's all going to be OK," he said, grasping both her hands in his before placing a kiss on her forehead. "In, and out," he prompted on repeat, until finally her breathing returned to normal.

Audrey opened her eyes to find his gentle gaze on her. "Thanks Jake," she whispered. "What would I do without you?"

Focussing on remaining calm, they navigated through the airport until they found the right gate and waited. The first passenger off the plane was a man in his twenties, followed by a middle-aged couple, then three girls who looked like backpackers. Audrey watched intently as she searched for a familiar face.

The area quickly became crowded as passengers reunited with their loved ones, the noise level steadily increasing to a crescendo. The flight attendant's voice echoed over the PA system, instructing everyone to proceed to the baggage claim, creating a path for the remaining travellers. Audrey scanned frantically, trying to look between people and over shoulders until she caught sight of a familiar face.

Despite her hair, now a salt and pepper shade of grey and the more pronounced creases at the corner of her eyes and mouth, she still recognised her mother. There was no denying that smile. The same one she'd woken to every day of her life until adulthood. Audrey realised that by some twist of fate, or perhaps magic, that simple greeting had completely calmed her nerves. She pushed through the crowd, inching her way forward, keeping her eye on her mother for fear of losing her through the masses.

When she finally reached her, Audrey fell into her mother's outstretched arms, resting her head in the nook of her shoulder and neck, as she'd done as a child. This is what she'd been missing all these years, she thought. With eyes closed, she soaked in the embrace, and the all-encompassing love of her mother.

Her eyes, wet with emotion, bead at the corners. Audrey finally felt home.

Grace beamed as she stepped back from the hug to take in her daughter. She'd transformed from the young woman she'd known almost two decades ago, and while she was excited to see Audrey now, her heart yearned for the years they'd lost. That blasted man, Grace thought, remembering her ex-son-in-law. But she caught a glimpse of another man moving towards them, his eyes sincerely focussed on her daughter. This must be Jake, she considered, and eyed him curiously. She silently prayed that this man, before her, was one deserving of Audrey, and her granddaughter.

As she scanned the area looking for Aislinn, Audrey noticed the confused look on her mothers face. "Mum, this is Jake," she said standing between them.

Jake offered his hand in greeting. Pausing briefly, Grace grinned and moved forward to wrap her arms around him too. She was at least a foot shorter than Audrey, and he crouched down, wrapping his arms around his future mother-in-law in return. Her hug was like a warm blanket, he thought, his mind thinking of his own mother he missed dearly.

"And Aislinn?" Grace asked.

"She's at home making sure everything is perfect for you and Dad," Audrey replied. "Where is he?" She searched the area, looking for the tall thin man she remembered.

"He'll be here shortly," Grace replied, but something in her voice sounded hidden.

Audrey watched as her father appeared. A stewardess assisting him as she pushed his wheelchair up the ramp. Her heart sunk. She recognised her father; he had aged much like her mother. But a wheelchair? Standing there, lost in confusion, Jake wrapped an arm around her shoulders, jolting her back from her reverie. She moved over towards him and kneeled.

"Hi, Dad." Tears flowed freely down Audrey's face.

"How about we get a coffee?" Grace said, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "We've got some catching up to do."